Sayed Moshagheb rearrested hours after release from 11 years imprisonment

Sayed Moshagheb emerged from 11 years of imprisonment to a spontaneous celebration organized by a number of his friends in front of his house in Bulaq Dakrour on Wednesday evening. 

Hours later, he and five of those friends were taken into custody once again.

Moshagheb, the former leader of the Ultras White Knights, the hardcore football fan group of Zamalek Club, was arrested in 2015 and later received a seven-year sentence on charges related to an incident the same year in which police confrontations with fans at a Cairo stadium prompted a stampede, crushing and killing 20 members of the crowd. 

Moshagheb was among several detainees who were ordered released by the Public Prosecution, as lawyer and member of the Presidential Pardon Committee Tarek al-Awady announced on April 6.

Awady defended on Friday the celebration of Moshagheb as nothing more than a spontaneous gathering of friends and well-wishers celebrating the release of someone who had spent nearly 11 years in prison, “a human moment” that the lawyer said should not be blown out of proportion.

The Public Prosecution interrogated Moshaghab until 7 am on Friday, his lawyer, Osama al-Gohary, told Mada Masr. 

The prosecution then ordered that he and the other five individuals arrested be held for four days pending further investigations. The Giza Misdemeanor Court extended the detention duration to 15 days on Saturday.

The detainees face charges of “being in possession of flares, obstructing traffic, inciting riots, using force, endangering citizens and property and disturbing the public peace,” according to statements published by Gohary and Mohamed al-Baqer, who also joined Moshagheb’s defense team. 

Baqer said that Moshagheb faces the additional charges of unlawful gathering and protesting. 

Following an outpouring of anger at the renewed detention of Moshagheb, the Interior Ministry issued a statement on Friday in which it described the celebration of Moshagheb’s release as a “riot,” where fireworks were launched and traffic was disrupted in the Giza neighborhood, “causing public alarm.” 

The statement emphasized the ministry’s commitment to “confront any actions outside the legal framework and take decisive legal measures against those who incite or commit such acts.”

Ultras groups have faced persecution and targeting by security forces since their participation in protests and events following the 2011 revolution. 

Moshagheb was arrested in the wake of the Air Defense Stadium incident, where security forces fired tear gas at fans outside the over-crowded stadium, causing a stampede that killed 20 people. He was sentenced in 2017 to seven years in prison for possession of explosives, vandalism of public facilities and assault against security forces. 

His imprisonment was extended by almost four years beyond the sentence duration, since authorities refused to count the extended period he spent in remand detention before trial within the sentence. 

He was also added for investigation in a dozen more cases while he was in prison, a tactic authorities frequently deploy to justify extending remand detention beyond the legal limits. 

Awady urged the government in a statement on Friday to turn over a new leaf with young people and football fans in particular. It is necessary for society that authorities meet these people with inclusion, not exclusion, said Awady. 

He urged the relevant authorities to reconsider Moshagheb’s detention, “contributing to the final closure of this chapter and paving the way for a new beginning characterized by calm and respect for the law.”